The USS Forrestal CV 59 stands as a pivotal vessel in American naval history, marking the dawn of the supercarrier era while bearing the weight of one of the deadliest accidents in peacetime naval operations. Commissioned in 1955 as the lead ship of her class, she revolutionized carrier aviation with an angled flight deck, enclosed hurricane bow, and steam catapults capable of launching heavy jet aircraft. Yet, her legacy is defined just as much by the catastrophic 1967 flight deck fire off Vietnam as it is by her technological breakthroughs and decades of Cold War service.
Understanding the history of CV 59 requires looking beyond standard technical specifications to examine how structural innovations reshaped naval warfare, the harrowing human cost of the July 29, 1967 disaster, and the permanent safety reforms that transformed modern flight deck operations.
Evolution of the Supercarrier
Before the Forrestal took shape, the United States Navy relied primarily on Essex-class carriers built during World War II. These ships were too small to safely handle the heavier, faster jet aircraft emerging in the post-war era. Naval architects designed the Forrestal class from the keel up to handle jet propulsion, resulting in a displacement of over 60,000 tons and a flight deck length of 1,036 feet.
The incorporation of the angled flight deck allowed aircraft to launch and recover simultaneously, drastically reducing landing accidents. Four steam catapults replaced older hydraulic systems, giving heavy fighters and attack jets the velocity needed to clear the bow safely. These advancements made CV 59 the blueprint for every subsequent American supercarrier, shifting the paradigm of power projection across global oceans.
Cold War Patrols and Early Operations
Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, the ship operated primarily in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea as part of the United States Sixth Fleet. Her presence served as a floating deterrent during tense geopolitical moments, including the Berlin Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Sailors aboard experienced long deployments, rigorous flight operations, and the continuous mechanical strain of maintaining cutting-edge naval technology.
The 1967 Disaster: Tragedy on the Tonkin Gulf
In June 1967, the ship departed Norfolk, Virginia, for the Pacific, arriving at Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin by July to launch air strikes against targets in North Vietnam. The routine pace of war abruptly shattered on the morning of July 29, 1967, during the ship's fourth combat deployment day.
An electrical anomaly in a Zuni rocket pod mounted on an F-4B Phantom II accidentally triggered a launch while the aircraft sat fueled and armed on the starboard side of the flight deck. The rocket streaked across the deck, striking a fully fueled A-4E Skyhawk. The impact ruptured the fuel tanks, unleashing a massive wall of burning JP-5 aviation fuel across the flight deck.
The Immediate Response and Escalation
Within seconds, cascading explosions ripped through stacked ordnance, tearing holes in the armored flight deck and allowing burning fuel to pour into the living quarters and operational spaces below. Captain John K. Beling directed firefighting efforts from the bridge while crew members engaged in desperate, manual firefighting. Sailors rolled burning bombs off the edge of the deck into the sea and dragged injured shipmates away from active detonations.
The disaster claimed the lives of 134 sailors, injured 161 others, and destroyed 21 aircraft. It remains one of the worst peacetime catastrophes in the history of the United States Navy.
Rebuilding and Legacy of Safety
Following temporary repairs at Subic Bay in the Philippines, the ship returned to Norfolk for extensive reconstruction. The Navy used the hard lessons learned from the disaster to overhaul damage control protocols across the entire fleet.
- Firefighting Equipment: Ships received automated aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) systems and improved sprinkler networks.
- Ordnance Handling: Safe-arming procedures for rockets and missiles underwent strict revisions to prevent accidental electrical activation.
- Crew Training: Every sailor was mandated to complete intensive, hands-on fire containment training regardless of their primary rating.
After her return to service, CV 59 continued operations for decades, serving as a training carrier for generations of naval aviators until her decommissioning in 1993. Proposals to turn her into a museum ship ultimately failed due to financial and environmental hurdles, leading to her sale for scrap in 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the primary mission of the USS Forrestal?
She served as a multi-role attack carrier designed to project American air power globally, test new jet-age aviation technologies, and deter Soviet aggression during the Cold War.
Who was the ship named after?
The carrier was named after James Forrestal, who served as the final Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense.
How did the 1967 fire change the US Navy?
The disaster forced a complete overhaul of carrier safety standards, leading to the creation of standardized flight deck firefighting teams, upgraded foam suppression systems, and stricter ordnance handling rules.
Where was the ship ultimately scrapped?
After years in storage in Philadelphia, she was towed to Brownsville, Texas, where dismantling was completed in 2015.
